Cigarette-making machine



Nov. 25, 1930. w, MQLINS 1,783,093

CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 25, 1930. w. E. MOLINS CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVE/V TOE Mam/6 A; M

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Patented Nov. 25, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE-MAKING MACHINE Application filed February 25, 1928, Serial No. 257,004, and in Great Britain March 26, 1927.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to cigarette making machines and more particularly to an apparatus for determining th consistency of the cigarettes produced by a cigarette making machine.

There is described in specification No.

260,744, an apparatus which determines the consistency of cigarettes produced by a cigarettemaking machine in which batches of cigarettes are weighed from time to time and the record of their weights recorded upon a chart.

It will be appreciated that it is possible to obtain two distinct batches of cigarettes whose weights are identical, but wherein the weights of the individual cigarettes of the two batches vary considerably between wide limits, for example, one batch of cigarettes might be composed of two distinct types of cigarettes, some very tightly packed, and some very loosely packed, whereas the second batch might comprise cigarettes of a consistent density. I The apparatus set forth in the above specification would not detect the discrepancies which exist between the respective cigarettes of the first batch, and it is an object of the present invention to provide means whereby the discrepancies which exist between successive cigarettes of any batch may be automatically determined and recorded upon a chart and so provide means in conjunction with the apparatus set forth in specification No. 260,744, which will enable the supervisor to determine not only the consistency of the various batches of cigabut the consistency of the weights of the individual cigarettes of the various batches.

The present invention consists of an apparatus for checking the consistency of cigarettes produced by a cigarette making machine which comprises means operable to arrange a series of cigarettes in line and convey the same through a former operable automatically to compress a portion of the cylindrical surface of each cigarette to a predetermined radius, and means operable to bear upon the un-compressed portion of each cigarette and register the variations in the sunfaces thereof.

The drawings accompanying this specification show two forms of the apparatus.

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an apparatus constructed according to the present invention.

2 is a section on AA, Fig. 1. g. 3 is a section on BB, Fig. 1. 1g. 4 is a section on C-C, F ig. 1.

\ Fig. 5 is a side elevation of an apparatus constructed according to a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a plan of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a section-of 5 on DD.

Fig. 8 is a detail.

Fig. 9 shows a detail of paper drum.

. Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 4, the hopper comprlses two side plates 1 and a bottom plate 2 between which a fluted drum 3 runs. A small knurled roller 4 driven from the drum by a chain 5 assist in the feeding of cigarettes and prevents packing. When the drum is rotated the cigarettes are fed out of the hopper by means of the flutes in the drum and are removed from the flutes by a chute 6 which leads them down towards a moving tape 7.

- retainer 8 is provided to prevent more than one cigarette at a time passing on to the tape 7. The tape is carried on two rollers 9 which are driven in the direction indicated by the arrows and the tape is of the kind of a preferred form which is commonly used on cigarette making machines to form up the cigarettes. A stop 10 is provided to prevent the cigarettes from falling ofi the tape as they pass from the chute.

The clgarettes are carried along by the tape 7 which leads them through a U shaped former 11 which forms the tape into a semicircle. =Above the former there is mounted a wheel 12 which has a semi-circular groove in its circumference. The wheel 12 is mounted on an arm 13 pivoted at 14 and provided with an adjustable stop screw 15 so that the height of the wheel above the tape may be regulated.

An arm 16 is fixed to the arm 13 and carries at its freeend a pen 17 which is of the-kind used on recording barometers or similar instruments.

A cylindrical casing 18 covered with paper is mounted on a vertical spindle 19 and rotates in contact with the pen point. The casing 18 is driven by means of a worm wheel 20, worm 21 and sprocket 22 from the drive of the fluted drum 3. At the top of the casing 18 there is'mounted a nut 23 which engages with a fixed screw 24. The screw 24 is provided with a central bore in which the casing spindle 19 can rotate. A key in the casing 18 engages with a spline in the spindle 19 so that as the spindle 19 is rotated the casing rotates with it, but is free to rise up the screw. The nut 23 is preferably split so that it can be disengaged from the screw in order to return the casing to the zero position.

After the cigarettes have passed through the feeling apparatus they are discharged on to a travelling band 25 which carries them away. A stop plate 26 prevents them from falling ofi the ban The casing is preferably arranged to make one complete revolution and then come to rest until it is restarted by the operator, the mechanism which efiects this purpose is driven in the following manner .A. driven gear 27 runs on a fixed spindle 28 on which the fluted drum is also mounted. The ratchet wheel 29 is fixed to the gear and it drives the drum through the medium of a pawl 30. The pawl has a tail 31 which is controlled by the starting handle so that after one revolution, the working face of the pawl is removed from engagement with the teeth of the ratchet and the drum comes to rest under the action of the brake 33.

A spring 32 holds the starting handle 34 in a pos'tion for stopping the drum, but as soon as the starting handle is pulled outwards by the operator the pawl comes into engagement with the ratchet wheel'and the drum rotates. A stop pin 35 is provided to prevent the starting handle from moving inwards too far'and a latch 36 is also fitted so that the drum may revolve continuously when desired.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows The cigarettes are placed in the hopper and the drum is started. The number of flutes in the drum is determined by the number of cigarettes which itis desired to test in one operation. The cigarettes are stripped from the flutes of the drum and pass downwards one at a time on to the travelling band 7. The cigarettes are conveyed under the grooved wheel 12 and the pen- 17 rises as each cigarette meets it.

Any irregularities in the diameter of the cigarette are re-produced on a short horizontal line drawn by the pen for each ciga rette and immediately the cigarette has passed from beneath the wheel 12 the pen falls again to the zero line.

mes es In the apparatus shown at Figs. 5 to 8, the cigarettes are fed from a small hopper 35 bv means of a knurled roller 36 down a vertical chute 37. A cam operated plunger 38 at the bottom of this chute pushes out one cigarette at a time on to the tape 7 which conveys it into a feeling apparatus identical with the apparatus hereinbefore described. A small guide 89 is provided just before the cigarettes reach the feeler in order to press them down on to the band.

The drum is rotated'by means of a worm and worm wheel driven from the main drive of the apparatus through a pawl 40. The pawl is mounted on a large sprocket wheel 41 and it engages with a clutch face on a clutch 42 which is fixed to the worm spindle.

The pawl is fitted with a tail 43 by means of which the pawl can be dis-engaged when required. This apparatus is intended to measure and record groups of twenty cigarettes in one cycle.

On the casing spindle there is fitted a stop cam 44 which has a depression 45 made therein in which a roller 46 can drop at the completion of'each cycle. The roller 46 is carried on an arm 47 pivoted at 48 and is secured to another arm 49 which has a roller 50 mounted at its outer end. A spring 51 pulls both arms towards the casing spindle. The machine is started by depressing a rod 52.which lifts the roller 46 out of the depression 45 and at the same time lifts the roller 50 from out of the path of the tail 43 of the pawl. The pawl springs into its working position and immediately it reaches the clutch face,commences to drive the drum spindle. .At the end of a cycle the roller 46 drops into the depression again and the roller 50 trips the pawl from the clutch 42. Another cam 53 on the casing spindle controls the pen lifting arrangement through the levers 54 and 55. The cam is designed to lift the pen out of contact with the paper at the end of each cycle so that the pen misses the retaining strip 56 which clamps the paper in position. The paper casing is preferably made in the manner shown in Fig 9. The casing is grooved to carry the sheet of paper and the edges of the groove are made in the form of screw threads of the same pitch as the threads of the fixed screw 24. By constructing the casing in this manner it is pos sible to use an ordinary rectangular sheet of paper for recording and yet obtain horizontal zero lines on the paper which are parallel with the edges of the paper. This lines so that if any marked hollow places occur in the cigarettes these will be registered I port a record receiving sheet on the periph- 

